Archive for May 2006
Democrats Getting Bluer?
Us Southern Democrats have worried a long time about being totally abandoned by the national party. This election could accelerate that trend. Especially if Democrats win control of the U.S. House by knocking off vulnerable Republicans in the Northeast. Various reports show that districts won by John Kerry – but that still have GOP congressmen…
Read MoreSneaky
Governor Easley’s sneaky streak breaks out every now and then. To hear the Governor tell it he’s going to do two things with the State’s $2 billion surplus: increase some needed spending and cut taxes. What’s sneaky – and what he’s not talking about much – is that his tax cut is only a fraction…
Read MoreBombs Away
Congressman Brad Miller’s opponent, Vernon Robinson, last week sent out one of the wildest, most over-the-top, most clever, most irresponsible, most expensive and – I hope – least effective mailings I’ve ever seen. And I thought nobody could top the stuff Carter and the Congressional Club used to send out about Jim Hunt. Now, Brad…
Read MoreWhat Goes ARound Comes Around
In 2000, George and Jeb Bush relied on Katherine Harris, Florida’s Secretary of State, to recapture the White House for the Bush family. That made Katherine a hero with Republicans and anathema to Democrats. She rode the notoriety right into the U.S. Senate race in Florida this year. But her behavior has been so wacky…
Read MoreThe Most Unpopular Man in North Carolina
Few would argue (with the exception of the members of the House Democratic Caucus) with the proposition that Jim Black, after a year of ‘pay to play’ scandals, is now the most unpopular man in North Carolina. A series of hearings, investigations, and exposes has left the heretofore sure-footed House Leader battered and bruised. But…
Read MoreThe Battle of the Sexes
Scientists at the University of Chicago and the University of California have reached a startling conclusion. A woman can tell a man’s testosterone level, whether he’s a one night stand or a potential husband, and how much he likes infants by simply looking at his photograph. After the scientist showed a battery of young women…
Read MoreWhere’s Liddy?
Pay to Play
Democrats in the State House Committee say they want to ban political contributions from lobbyists to legislators. That’s fine. But don’t be deceived. They are not trying to end ‘pay to play.’ In fact, what they are doing will hardly slow Marc Basnight or Jim Black down at all. The House Democrats are being clever.…
Read MoreSoul-Searching Democrats
The Democratic Party is undergoing one of its periodic paroxysms of soul-searching. It’s not a pretty sight. The soul-searching has long been bubbling in the blogs. It bubbled onto the front page of The New York Times this week. But it’s nothing new. The same battle has been going on between Liberal Democrats and Not-So-Liberal…
Read MoreResponse – Whose Money Talks Loudest?
There’s a difference in Art Pope spending ‘his millions’ and how the Black/Basnight Political Machines continue to hold an iron-grip on the North Carolina Legislature. Pope is spending his own money. What he is doing does not cost taxpayers a cent. He’s not trying to get a state contract or a bill passed to help…
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